Town of Warwick
Selectboard
November 15, 2010
Minutes
Members present: Dawn Magi, Patricia Lemon
Absent: Nick Arguimbau
Others present: Town Coordinator David Young, Town Secretary Rosa
Fratangelo Calcari, Tom Wyatt, Jon Calcari, Janet Conover, Jared
Robinson (Athol Daily News)
I. Call to Order
Patricia Lemon called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. in the Town Hall.
II. Public Comment
Tom Wyatt presented the Board with a petition signed by twenty-one (21)
Warwick residents requesting that the "Selectboard meet with a
delegation of town residents to discuss the possible impacts to the town
of the scheduled closing and decommissioning of the Vermont Yankee
nuclear reactor in Vernon, Vermont". He also handed Board members a
letter of concerns which is addressed to "the various entities with
operational or oversight authority over Vermont Yankee". Lemon said that
she wanted this issue placed on the agenda for the next meeting. J.
Calcari asked that the Board revisit the regulations for loose animals,
especially the penalties for those who repeatedly allow their animals to
get loose. Lemon said that this issue will be put on the agenda for the
next meeting.
Janet Conover followed up on the issue of damage to her car caused by
the gate at the Transfer Station. She presented the Board with the
estimate for repairs, which came in just under $1,600.00. She said that
her insurance agent recommended that she ask the Board what step to take
next. Lemon asked Town Coordinator David Young to report on his
consultation with Town Counsel Fred Dupere requested by the Selectboard
at the previous meeting. Young said that he had spoken with Town Counsel
personally, who said that an insurance claim should be filed and that
dealing with it in any other way would leave the town open to
allegations of preferential treatment for Ms. Conover. Young pointed out
that it is the town's responsibility to notify the insurance company and
Town Counsel in situations such as this.
III. Minutes
Lemon made a spelling correction: "train" instead of "rain" in IV.2.
Magi MOVED to accept the minutes of November 1, 2010, with the
correction. Lemon SECONDED. Motion carried by a vote of 2-0-0.
IV. Presentations and Discussions
Selectboard Reports -- Magi said that she attended the FRCOG Personnel
Committee meeting on Wednesday, November 10th. She said that no decision
was made regarding raises for FY 12. Magi will attend the next meeting,
which will be held on Wednesday, November 17th with their Finance
Committee present.
Lemon said that she is looking forward to attending the Franklin
Regional Transit Authority (FRTA) meeting on Tuesday, November 30th.
She noted that it has been about a year and a half since someone
from Warwick attended an FRTA meeting. Lemon said that the issue of
a buy out of the Gill Montague Transit Authority facility may be a
topic of discussion at this meeting, although intervening events
since the May meeting make the issue less urgent.
Coordinator Report -- Young spoke about the procurement laws regarding
the Women's Guild project of painting the Town Hall dining room:
Because the Town Hall is a public building, if the painting contractor
has employees working on the project, they would have to be paid
prevailing wage. Carol Foote of the Guild has been advised to hire an
individual to paint, and to make sure that whoever is hired does the job
himself, alone.
Magi inquired about the $0.50 per hour pay increase for the Transfer
station attendant. Young explained that the Accountant had said that
the Selectboard must authorize any pay rate increase. Magi said that
she would want to limit this to individuals at the end of their
6-month probationary period. Young noted a pay rate increase is also
due a Highway employee at the end of his 6-month probationary period
as well. He explained that Board could either decide to make a
policy covering such situations, or take each situation when it
arises.
Lemon MOVED to permit department heads to adjust hourly pay rates in
probationary situations so long as the change is within the department's
budget. Magi SECONDED. Motion carried by a vote of 2-0-0.
Young spoke next about digitizing Warwick's tax maps for the
Planning Board Zoning Program. He noted that this will make the maps
accurate and available to be overlaid onto other GIS map layers. The
Town had previously received aerial pictometry software, and the
Planning Board wants to use its revolving account to pay for the
digitization of the assessor's maps. The cost of this is about
$2,000.00, which could be covered by the revolving account should
the Selectboard vote to increase its limit. Young reminded the Board
that it had voted to increase the Building Inspector's revolving
account
Lemon MOVED to increase the Planning Board's Zoning Program revolving
fund from $1,000.00 to $2,000.00 and to authorize the Town Coordinator
to expend Planning Board Zoning Program revolving funds to have the
Assessor's maps digitized in furtherance of the Zoning Program. Magi
SECONDED. Motion carried by a vote of 2-0-0.
Lemon said that she had received a call from Highway Superintendent
Tim Kilhart, who told her that he had been down on Gale Road and had
seen that national Grid is almost finished setting the utility poles
and installing the wires. He also told her that Verizon is working
on their wires from the Oxbow. Lemon noted that tree work was being
done on Chase Hill and Richmond Roads in preparation for utility
work in those locations.
3. Other Business -- Magi inquired about an Email the Town
Coordinator received from Hal Gillam of the North Quabbin Green Economy
Network regarding a request for regional collaboration to apply for
funding to develop a network of electric vehicle charging stations
throughout the nine North Quabbin communities. Young said that in his
estimation, should the Town see fit to have one or more electric vehicle
charging stations, it could most likely be done more cheaply on our own
rather than going through the State. Lemon said that she felt there was
insufficient information in the Email to allow for deliberation.
Young said that students from Franklin County Tech School were in
Town Hall earlier today working on the 220 circuit for the air
conditioning unit. He said these students, whose teacher is Warwick
resident Todd Weed, will be working on other wiring projects in Town
Hall and in addition to wiring the trash compactor at the Transfer
Station.
Lemon inquired about the flood plain overlay district. Young said that
the Planning Board is close to having a final draft. The Selectboard
will have to approve its inclusion on the Annual Town Meeting warrant.
Magi said that she was in favor of accepting the invitation extended
to the Warwick Selectboard and Finance Committee by the Bernardston
Selectmen and Finance Committee to attend a meeting with them on
Tuesday, November 30th at 6:30 pm at the Bernardston Town Hall. The
purpose of the meeting is to discuss the FY 12 PVRS budget.
Lemon commented on the income statements for the Broadband
Enterprise Fund. Young explained that in FY 10 the deficit was
reduced by almost $25,000.00. He predicted that the Broadband
Enterprise Fund will be in the black by the end of FY 11.
Young said any Monday in February 2011 other than Presidents Day would
work for the Special Town Meeting. Lemon pointed out that scheduling it
for February 7 would allow for postponement to a date two months before
Annual Town Meeting, should the weather be uncooperative on that day.
Magi MOVED to set the date for the Special Town Meeting as Monday,
February 7, 2011. Lemon SECONDED. Motion carried by a vote of 2-0-0.
Young said that he would be placing the issue of stretch codes on
the agenda for the next meeting, and hoped to have an article for
the February 2011 Special Town Meeting.
V. Adjournment
At 6:44 pm, Lemon MOVED to adjourn the meeting. Magi SECONDED. Motion
carried by a vote of 2-0-0.
Minutes taken by Rosa Fratangelo Calcari